Steering device



July 6,1926. A

. F. s. EKsrRAND STEERING DEVICE Filed oct. 1o, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 6 1926.' 1,591,162

P. s. EKSTRAND V STEERING DEVICE Filed oct. 1o, 1924 2 she'etshsheet' 2 WIA/5555 gwmm y /l I A attorney i ThisVv invention appertainsto attachments'` by undue strain 'will be'eliminated'on the Vtowed vehicle.

Patented Julye, '19:26.4 y

*U NITEDSTATE iS f i f y rn'rnn's. is:irsclznaivn,v or'rLUirsEN, iviinnnsorely, E

" s'rEERINe DEVICE.

' Appnbnnma,october 1o, 1924.l seriainariagsiif for automobilesfand thel primaryjobject of the invent-ion is to vprovide animproved device `for facilitatingthe pulling of a disabled automobileY or trailer by a leading ve-l cle being towed, thereby dispensing with `a driver for the said vehicle. j f.

A further` object .on thelinventionis to 'provide an improved towing device having a novel hingedointv therein, for permittingl finov'einent of the vehiclesconnected together relative to ,one another incidentgto the travel of the vvehicle overa rcadwvayf..V 1

A Jfurther object ofy theinv'ention is to provide novel means for-connectingthetow-l ing Vdevice tothe vehicle being .towedwhere-V AA still further` 4object of thev invention to provide a novel "towing"'deviceof theV above character which can be readily taken apart and Aioldedfinto a compact `bundle to permit the, sameto occupy aminimuin amount of space 'during shipping or" storage.

c. Y A still further object ofY the inventionfis' Vto provide a rnovel towing device whichwill be durable and eliicirent in use', one thatjwill.

be simple and easy to manufacture 'and one which can be placed uponfthe market at a l small cost. f f

with agleading vehicle'and a vehicle to be i towed,` fr y l. *l

2 isV a detail section through the Y improved towing device showing the same With these and 'other objects-in view, the invention consists iii the novel construction,l

'I 'arrangement and formation of parts; as will be hereinafter more specificallyV described,` claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drafwing,` in which drawings, Y' Y Figure l is a plan view 'of the improved towing device showingthesame connected Figure connected tothe front dead axle of a vehicle being towed, f y l `V Figure?) is a fragmentary edgeelevation of the improvedv device showing the same "attached to a front dead axle of the vehicle being towed, the axle being shownY in cross section,

YFigure 4 is fa kfragmentary longitudinal "hinge pins 29.

" clamp 31 which is L:section 'throughfthe improved device showing the same attached tothe .front deadaxle ofa'vehicleto Vbe towed', v'theV axle being shownin cross section; V Y Y A l `n1*Referring gto the VdrawingsV in` detail p I., wherein similar referencel characters desig Another objector theinvention is to pro-Vv vide anfimprove'd towing device having? means for automatically steering the vehi-I nate VAcdorre'spendingparts(VV throughout theA hicle which is to be towedf alle venia@ B' is of the, usati or 'any prep several views the letterfA generally indi- 7 cates'the improved devicegiB the vehicle with* V l Ywhich thegsaineis'connected and 'VCthe ve-" ferredQcharacter#and `comprises the usualdifferential housing?) tol which,` the towing As shown the 'vehicle C embodies y Vdead axle l0 having connected therewith in the ordinary manner.. the lsteering knuckles 1l Vand which vsupport the 'front steeringv wheels 13.? The knuckles 1l fandfl`2 are connected together by' the` ordinary v j connecting the steering gear (not shown) bythe usual drag'linlz The improved towinggdevice Aj comprises a-rlat metal 'pull bar 2O having anenlarged open head 21 formed thereon at its forward end,which`is adapted to receive the connect- Ting cable 22 secured to the diiferential hous- .K

ing 5.V The rear end ofthepull har 2O is slid-k Y 9 f o Y ably mountedwithin a .guide 23, which in yturn isconnected byvmeans ot :a swinging linli`2a with therpull headv25'. Theilinl; 2li has formed on its oppositeends hinge barrels which yare adapted toV align with hinge barrels'27 and 29 respectively formed on'tlie innerends 'of theguide 23 Aand the vrod 14 and the knuckles' arey operated from w head 25. 'The laligned'hinge barrels 26 and 27 and the aligned The pull head 25 is operativelyconnected 4by .means of a king bolt 3Q with agnov'el adaptedl to engage the deadaxle 10. f

yThe clamp 3l rests on ythe. upper ksurface of the dead"axleg 10 and is of substantially `thesamewidth as the axleand is provided with pairs of depending lipsl 32 o n each'side of the transverse center thereof which are hinge barrels 2S receiveV ,Y V'

icc

adapted Vto embrace the opposite faces Vof the dead axle, rEhe outer ends of the clamp 31 have formed thereon laterally projecting ears 33 which receive U-shaned clamping bolts Sil-which straddle the said dead axle.

By this construction it can be seen that the towing device can readily and easily c Vconnected with the vehicle to be towed'.

Y ln order to permit the steering ofV the vehicle being towed' by the leading vehicle a radially extending arm 35 is'ormed rigidly on the pull head and this arm has formed therein a plurality ot spaced openings 36. A pull link 37 is adapted to be placed in any one of the openings 36v and the outer end thereof is pivotally connected to aY 1 .t clamp Srwhich is secured at any preleried `iointvto the drag link 15.

From the oregoing it can be seen that when the leading vehicleniakes a turn thatV the' pull head 25 will swing on the kingbolt 30 and consequently exert a pull on the drag link l5 through the medium lof the connecting link S'Zthereby bringing about the steering ot' the front wheels 13 of the vehicle y beingtowed. Y Y

In order to permit the detachable connection of the pull bar 2O with the guide 23, the guide 23is provided atspaced points with openings a() in any one of which is adapted-to be inserted a bolt tl carried by the extreme rear end of the said pull bar.

wWhen the pulling device is not in use the f bolt tlis disconnected from the guide 23 and the clamp 31 is removedfrom the dead axle/lOvaswell as the cable 22 from the differential housing 5'. "The king bolt 30 can also befremoved from the clamps. 3l and it is obvious that the device can be packed into Var relatively small area. Y

Changes as to details may be made withand to said guides.

'ing the leading and the following vehicles ital/,16e

a guide arranged to slidably receive .A the draw bar, means detachably connecting the.

Vdrawbar with the guide, a link, means pivotally connecting the link to the draw head mi The combination with a lea-ding vehicleincluding a differential housing and a following vehicle including a dead axle, and

a drag link, of a towingy device for connecttogether including a draw bar, an'enlarged openhead carried by the forwardend of. the draw bar, ilexible meansl for connecting the open head withthe diderential housing of the leading vehicle, a transversely extending` clamp arranged to embrace the dead axle, a draw head pivotally connected to the' clamp, a rearwardly extending steering arm formed on the draw head, means adjustablyl connecting the steering arm with they dragY 75 link, aguide arranged to receive the draw bar, means adjustably and detacliably connectingthe draw bar with the guide,` a link, andnieans pivotally conneotingthe link to the draw head and to said side.

In testimony whereof 1 atiix my signature.

PETER S. EKSTRAND. 

